Sniffle, sniffle.

     5am.  Toe curling screams and crying.  Ryan and I bolted out of bed.  Nosebleed?  Nightmare? Fall out of bed?  In the boys room, Etienne's whole body is shaking.

"I can't breath of out this side of my nose.  It's sniffling."

      By grace alone, I hugged him tight and I didn't respond with an you-are-kidding-me remark regarding a stuffy nose, the early morning hour and the boogey man screams.  I hugged and rocked him and Ryan got a tissue.  Than I laid down and wrapped my body around Etienne.  For the first time since becoming his mom, his muscles relaxed, he stuck his thumb in his mouth and went back to sleep.  No clenching fists, no arching back.  He fell asleep in my arms.
     I was so excited!  I stayed up the rest of the night. Thankful.